Original Construction
1909
Completion Date
2000
Size
96,400 sqft; 27,000 sqft addition
State Register of Historic Places

Built in 1909, Agriculture Hall is a historic campus landmark at Michigan State University, later expanded in the 1930s with an addition known as the Annex. Together, the combined facility houses classrooms, laboratories, administrative offices, and student common spaces. Typical of many 90-year-old academic buildings, the facility eventually became underutilized, prompting the university to evaluate options for modernizing the space to accommodate evolving academic and spatial program needs.

HopkinsBurns Design Studio, as Architects Four, prepared a feasibility study to explore several options, such as redesigning the Annex and building a new addition to accommodate the evolving programming needs. The study included an analysis of the existing conditions of the Annex and the estimated costs for all schemes considered. Working closely with MSU to balance budget constraints and space requirements, HopkinsBurns designed a solution that partially removed the Annex and constructed a new 27,000-square-foot office addition alongside renovated classrooms and office spaces in the historic main building. The renovated Annex provides an open commons area, keeping with its original function as a pavilion and serving to connect the historic structure with the addition.